Traffic Laws You Had No Idea You Were Violating

Everyone considers themselves to be a pretty great driver. It’s a natural boast all of us with licenses share, even the most anxiety-ridden and self-doubting among us. Not only that, but you consider yourself a safe, law-abiding driver too – something your perfectly white record proves.

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[ctt template=”4″ link=”Ps5ef” via=”yes” ]Here is the driving lesson you were never given with traffic laws you had no idea you were violating. If nothing else, they will prevent you from crumbling into confusion if the lights come on behind you.[/ctt]

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But what if we said you’ve (probably) broken the law a thousand times since passing your test and (probably) break the law every time you get behind the wheel of your people-carrier. Mmm hmmm. There are laws out there you probably don’t realize and, no, we’re not talking about the going-slightly-over-the-speed-limit-thing because we hope you know that’s illegal. We’re talking about the lesser-known-yet-still-illegal traffic offenses most people are ignorant to.

So, without further ado, here is the driving lesson you were never given. If nothing else, they will prevent you from crumbling into confusion if the lights come on behind you.

1. Eating And Driving

Yup. There is no need to rub your eyes or pinch yourself; you read that right. Eating while driving is an illegal traffic offense considered to be distracted driving. Even those on-the-go snacks you pick up from a fuel station and think are super-safe to chomp on while on the highway are a big no-no. And it’s not just eating. It’s doing your makeup, it’s swapping the CDs over and anything else that takes your concentration off the road.

2. Harmless Hit And Run

Most people know that a hit and run on a pedestrian is highly illegal. It’s the kind of thing that could see you enduring a rather long stay in a rather unsightly building with high walls and excellent security features. It makes sense. However, hitting a pedestrian in Sarasota, Florida, isn’t deemed that bad. In fact, you’ll only be expected to pay a $78 fine, which seems ludicrous to us.

3. Grab Life By The Horns

There are times when honking the horn is an absolute must. Honking can encourage a deer caught in the headlights to get the heck out of the way, it can be used to alert other cars to your presence as you approach a blind corner, it can be used to pip the car in front to say the lights have gone green. However, use your horn after 9 pm in Arkansas and you might have the police on your case, while honking someone else’s horn in Missouri is an arrest-worthy offense.

4. Watch your Mouth

There are few places across the country where you really need to learn to bite your tongue. For example, in Rockville, Maryland, it is illegal to yell any form of obscenity from your vehicle, whether it is moving or not. But that’s not all. Head to Georgia and you will find there is a zero-tolerance for anyone spitting from a car or bus. It’s okay to do it from a truck for some reason, but do it from your car and you will feel the wrath of the law.

And there we have it, some of the more weird and wonderful laws you need to abide by when driving in our great country – laws you might want to pass down to your kids.  

This is a contributed post

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